Heavy Metal #310

Heavy Metal #310 has the $13.99 cover price, but comes in with just 128 pages.  I got it in mid-October 2021 from mycomicshop.com again, this time the Cover A by Santa Fung, photo of my copy:

The image almost completely obscures the logo, and for some reason is for a story "Dogma Resistance" which appeared in issue #299, almost a year ago.  Of course, there is no further reference to this story in this issue.

The two big shots again succeed in pissing me off in their editorials.  First Mr Medney says some crap about MAD Magazine being DC's attempt to dethrone Heavy Metal.  This is just stupid.  MAD Magazine existed long before Heavy Metal, and besides the internet, I know because I was reading them in the 60s.  Likewise Mr Erwin, who seems to have some predisposition to making up HM taglines ("The Best Illustrated Magazine"?  When did it ever say that?) also refers to MAD, making vaporous claims about MAD's demise and about his loyalty to HM readers.  I don't believe that for a moment.  These two are gleefully eroding what little respect I had for them, and my optimism about the mag's existence.  Oh well, I'll keep trying to enjoy it the best I can, while I still can.

"Segments - Neo Sparta" by Richard Malka, Juan Giménez, JAME, Carol Burrell, and with Fabrice Sapolsky noted as Editor. - 7 - Another 45 pages in two parts, this is turning out to be a massive saga.  And unfortunately for us, this one notes "The End", along with "Original title Segments Tome 3 - Néo-Sparte" with a 2014 copyright.  As some characters are about to be annihilated, there is clearly more story to be had, but not for us.  Too bad.  While I still suffered from confusion and problems following it, this has been a still-enjoyable classicly HM story.

"Swamp God - Chapter 6" by Ron Marz, Armitano, Werner Sanchez, ALW Studios' Troy Peteri - 6.5 - And with Tim Seeley still getting an Editor credit.  With a flashback to a Civil War battle, with unflinching gore, and some slight effort to find some humanity among the currently allied enemies, this one is succeeding in gaining some of my interest.  I hope it keeps getting better.

"Savage Circus" Chapter Eight" by Brendan Columbus, Al Barrionuevo, Candice Han, Dave Sharpe, Joseph Illidge - 3 - Did this one get better too?  Nope.

"How Marvel Took On Heavy Metal & Lost" An interview with Jim Shooter by Joshua Sky - 6 - A lengthy and informative interview with Mr Shooter.  I bet this would be more valuable to someone who actually cares about mainstream comics history, and purported insider knowledge, than to someone like me, who hardly cares about stuff that's not really about Heavy Metal Magazine.  Still, even though the opening has a weird photo of Mr Shooter looking weirdly down an (apparently) early German semi-auto pistol (I would use my right eye to sight when holding it in my right hand), there was enough info close enough to actual Heavy Metal history, to get through to my old brain.

"Outer Demons" by Camille Willaford - 6 - Another installment of "Outer Demons" in HM, last seen in issue #307.  I enjoyed it, despite the mess.

"Black Beacon - Chapter 4" by Ryan K Lindsay, Sebastian Piriz, JAME - 6.5 - with Joseph Illidge getting an "Edited By" credit.  My attention to this is starting to slip away.  The art is pretty and inventive, and the writing is evocative, but it's not coming together for me, it's more coming apart, like leaves falling from a tree.  The characters are dwelling on themselves, and I get less insight as it goes on.  I'm sorry to lose the interest I had, how long will it go?

"Moon Lake - Phase 2 - Mish Mosh" by Stephen Christy, Dan Fogler, Warren Allman, Dan Dougherty, Wesley Wong - 6 - Justin Mohlman gets an Edited By credit, and that's how it's spelled, which makes me wonder even more about the typo in the masthead, which has been there since #304.  Curious.  This story is about a woman who lives and dies, alone and forgotten in her hoarder's house.  Her only happiness comes in death, when she animates her house as it's to be demolished, with the destruction she wreaks.  A simple story with serviceable art.

"Starward:  Chapter Five" by Steve Orlando, Ivan Shavrin, Saida Temofonte - 6 - With Joseph Illidge credited as Editor.  So we're in the "protagonist finding the disparate sisters in her battle against Kaos" part of the story formula, but it's being done with such verve I'm starting to be impressed.  There's some dispensing with details to move the story along, but it's gaining momentum.

"Swamp God - Chapter 7" by Ron Marz, Armitano, Werner Sanchez, ALW Studios' Troy Peteri - 6.5 - And with Tim Seeley still getting an Editor credit. With a bonus "Continued from Page 36", this second installment in this issue has more gore and violence, as the now-allied enemies fight off the Swamp God again, taking more losses but vowing to destroy it.  Bets on how many of them are left by the end?

"Imagining Heavy Metal"

I recently came across a reference to "Imagining Heavy Metal", something of a "making of ..." documentary of the 1981 Heavy Metal movie, from 1999.  I had no idea this existed.  It can be funny how often that happens.  

Even funnier, is that it's actually on my copy of the 1981 Heavy Metal movie (Columbia DVD) and appears to have been made for this DVD release.  It seems ... I ... never ... watched it?  I won't rule anything out, considering my advanced years, but I'd think I would have remembered.

Well, I remember it now.  With segments with Ivan Reitman and others who worked on the movie, and Kevin Eastman, HM's publisher then (only about 7 years into his decades-long reign), talking about seeing it in the theaters as a teen.  I found this informative and enjoyable to watch.  

With some fun stuff about shooting and modeling tech, story development, voice talent, and behind the scenes gossip, and maybe some revisionist history, this was great to find out about and see.  One thing I learned was that the "NeverWhereLand" sequence, which I really liked, was actually cut since Mr Reitman apparently thought nothing could follow it.

While the 1981 Heavy Metal Movie is not my favorite part of HM lore, there's much to enjoy, and it's a big piece of the puzzle.  Seeing this documentary (finally) adds a great deal of enjoyment to my Heavy Metal fanboyhood.

Heavy Metal #309

Again with 144 pages and the $13.99 cover price, I got the cover A by Kai Carpenter from ebay in late August.  With Vasator and Crunch battling some horned fleshlight-lizard monster, I'll give it a 6.  My copy:

The two big shots spew some editorial, but I was sorry to not see R.G. Llarena listed on the masthead.  He's been pretty consistently involved with Heavy Metal for years, as a contributor since 2007 at least, and an editor since issue #275, and I like his writing, and he actually commented on this blog a few times.  I saw a FB referring to him as a former managing editor at HM.  Best wishes for health and happiness to you, internet friend.

"Segments-Voluptida" by Richard Malka, Juan Giménez, JAME, Carol Burrell, and with Fabrice Sapolsky noted as Editor. - 7 - Fabrice Sapolsky is apparently filling the spot both here and on the masthead, where once R.G. Llarena's name once appeared.  The fugitives somehow escape the sex planet and find the lone ancient Librarian to help them save humanity.  This is a hefty 50 pages in two parts, and I like it, but I felt less engrossed by this installment than the last.  It took several passes to relieve me of some of my confusion with the storytelling, but I still had a ways to go. 

"The Rise - Part Four" by George C. Romero, Diego Yapur, DC Alonso, Saida Temofonte, Joseph Illidge - 6 - Last seen in issue #305, this fourth part shows the scientist struggling to move forward, persisting nonetheless through his pain.  The art is cool, and the artist goes all out on wrinkles, and the story is moving along.  The characters are caricatures, and I hope this story coalesces into something more solid soon.

"The Adventures of Adrienne James" by Matthew Medney, Bruce Edwards, Geraldo Borges, Felipe Sobreiro, Saida Temofonte, Morgan Rosenblum, R.G. Llarena. - 6 - The rebels try to make their escape, and sell their spoils, in colorful comic action.  There's some creative panel arrangement, but I'm not getting pulled into the story.

"Swamp God - Chapter 5" by Ron Marz, Armitano, Werner Sanchez, ALW Studios' Troy Peteri - 6 - And with Tim Seeley and Joseph Illidge getting their respective Editor and Co-Editor credits. The Union and rebel soldiers forge a truce to hunt the Swamp God, before it hunts them.  There's some emotion coming through the dialog, scripted though it may be, as the Swamp God watches, and the two Captains' hats seem to grow with every frame.

"Vasator and Crunch" by David Erwin, Riccardo Latina, Federico Pietrobon, David Sharpe, Morgan Rosenblum - 5 - More story, same writer, different artists again.  It's just not clicking for me, I'm not relating.  Why am I bored by the fantasy lust and bloodshed?  How could Crunch just be learning about how their father died?

"Barracuda - (chapter two) by Keith Champagne, A. Christopher Smith, Rich Stahnke, Steve Dutro, Tim Seeley - 6 - So like the dirty cop is somehow transported to the future, and the immortal dude came to find him, and he's gonna kill 'em all.  Wow man.

"Starward:  Chapter Four" by Steve Orlando, Ivan Shavrin, Saida Temofonte - 6 - With Joseph Illidge credited as Editor.  Seriously energetic art, with perhaps an all-time incongruous sound effect:  "Schlorp".  More story development is foreshadowed.  Let's hope so.

"Dying Is Easy" by Joshua Sky, Gideon Kendall, Kevin LaCroix - 6 - A captive comedian must entertain their powerful master, or die.  Creatively presented, slightly funny.  Some interesting insights into personality and identity.

"Microscopic" by Keith Champagne, Raffaele Forte, Periyapillai, Taylor Esposito - 6 - With Tim Seeley getting an Edited By credit. Noted as "Part Two:  The Field".  While the dude engages in microscopic violence, the dudette decides to go in there after him.  That's sure to turn out great.

This issue finishes with the second half of "Segments" with some strong but complicated efforts at storytelling and plot twists.  It's noted as from 2012, and still "To Be Continued" so I hope we really get to see more and my confusion relents.